In front of unfamiliar strangers, Shen Qianzhan would instinctively put on a facade. She was sparing with words, using “mm,” “ah,” and “oh” whenever possible, trying to use the same single syllables with varied rich contexts to make the conversation flow brilliantly.

Take the refined-looking young man in front of her, who had thoroughly saturated every cell in his body with Hermès Terre d’Hermès cologne.

He asked three questions in a row—

“I’ve been a member for three years, but this is the first time I’ve seen you. Haven’t you participated in association activities before?”

“Have you joined the watch association?”

“I’m quite a seasoned watch collector. If you’re interested, we can discuss anytime. Want to add each other on WeChat?”

Shen Qianzhan held her breath, trying her best to block out this gentleman’s cologne that was so strong it could knock someone unconscious.

She suddenly found herself missing the cold fragrance on Ji Qinghe—rich as ink when concentrated, light as bamboo when faint, carrying an inexhaustible steadiness that came with the settling of years.

Even Su Zan, that little lapdog’s coquettish scent, was never excessive.

She responded with a perfunctory “mm,” with no intention of adding WeChat or continuing the conversation.

Her attitude was so cold and aloof that it clearly conveyed one message—don’t want to chat, don’t want to add contacts, and don’t want to be bothered.

But the more cold and aloof a beauty was, the more she attracted attention. The young talents surrounding her in three layers became more determined after their brief setback.

In public, most men were too embarrassed to openly express their intentions. First, because Shen Qianzhan had previously given someone the cold shoulder, and no one wanted to repeat that embarrassment; second, being too direct seemed lacking in depth and sophistication.

So everyone took roundabout approaches, using watch topics to try to get her attention.

Su Zan listened from outside the circle, barely suppressing his laughter.

What a mess.

Did his Sister Zhan look like someone knowledgeable enough to discuss these topics in depth with them? Couldn’t they see she had started playing dumb when she couldn’t keep up with their conversation?

He played with his lighter, squinting toward the window.

This angle was perfect—he could see the parking lot outside the cultural center at a glance.

The outdoor parking lot hidden in the deep alley was relatively small, with the parking barrier at the entrance gate rising and falling repeatedly.

Su Zan clicked his lighter, the blue flame going from bright to dim, then dim to bright. After several repetitions, a domineering beam of headlights swept from inside the courtyard to the courtyard wall.

He looked up to see a business SUV park squarely at the entrance of the cultural center.

Here it comes, here it comes.

The one catching them red-handed has arrived!

Su Zan extinguished his lighter, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he turned to look at Shen Qianzhan.

After chatting with Shen Qianzhan for a long time, the young talents surrounding her in three layers discovered they hadn’t even managed to ask her full name. They finally realized they had kicked an iron plate—impossible to melt with fire or cut with blades.

The outer circle gradually began to disperse, leaving only Meng Wanzhou and a few persistent gentlemen still seated nearby.

Noticing Su Zan’s urging gaze again, Shen Qianzhan raised her wrist to check the time and, seizing an opportunity, bid farewell to Meng Wanzhou: “Tonight has been very enlightening. It’s getting late, so I won’t delay everyone’s time. I’ll leave first.”

Meng Wanzhou was about to ask her to stay when he caught sight of a familiar figure in his peripheral vision. Before he could confirm it, his body, sensing danger, was already trembling, feeling weak all over.

Shen Qianzhan’s left shoulder sank as someone casually draped an arm around her shoulder and sat down in the empty seat beside her.

That hand clearly didn’t use much force, yet she felt as if a huge boulder had pressed down on her, instantly unable to move.

A familiar numbness at the back of her neck as Ji Qinghe released his grip, placing his hand on the back of her chair at quite an intimate distance: “I just arrived and you’re already leaving, hmm?”

Shen Qianzhan felt a chill between her teeth, inexplicably feeling guilty like a thief.

She trembled as she glanced at Ji Qinghe: “How… how did you come here?”

Ji Qinghe smiled warmly: “Afraid of me?”

He rested one hand on his crossed knees, his posture lazy and casual: “Did I ruin your good time?”

Shen Qianzhan directly sensed Ji Qinghe’s danger.

He lived under the same roof as Meng Wanzhou, so he couldn’t be unaware that he was organizing an exchange meeting. From his implications, he should understand this activity’s significance perfectly.

One reason Shen Qianzhan had previously declined Meng Wanzhou was that participating in this kind of blind-date-like activity under Ji Qinghe’s nose was too undignified. Regardless of whether Ji Qinghe would have opinions, she herself strongly resisted it.

But now, caught red-handed, she felt embarrassed while glaring ominously at Su Zan, who had been trying to minimize his presence since Ji Qinghe appeared.

This little traitor.

She rubbed her cold fingertips, trying to shift the battlefield: “I was just about to say goodbye. Is President Ji staying to continue playing, or…?”

Ji Qinghe chuckled coldly, his gaze coolly sweeping over Meng Wanzhou, who didn’t dare raise his head, as he adjusted his coat: “I’ll see you off in his place.”

When Ji Qinghe said he’d see her off, he was genuinely sincere about it.

His business car was parked at the exit, with Ming Jue holding the rear door open for her, waiting by the car.

Seeing this formation, Shen Qianzhan stopped in her tracks, planted right at the entrance.

Seeing she hadn’t followed, Ji Qinghe turned slightly. Those clear, cold, bright eyes locked onto her, brooking no refusal.

Shen Qianzhan asked in confusion: “President Ji wants to see me off?”

“Yes.” His brow furrowed slightly with some impatience: “Don’t dare get in the car?”

Honestly, she didn’t dare.

Shen Qianzhan stood still, her gaze searching around for Su Zan: “I came with Su Zan, so I’ll just go back in his car. No need to trouble President Ji.”

Ji Qinghe seemed to smile, but that smile wasn’t particularly friendly. It was like he’d torn off his disguise, and his hidden malevolence was exposed under the night: “So afraid of me?”

Shen Qianzhan didn’t dare respond, thinking to herself: Don’t you have any idea what you’re like right now? How could I not be afraid?

Seeing the atmosphere at a standstill, Ming Jue glanced at the increasing number of vehicles behind them and reminded: “Producer Shen, please get in the car first? There’s a traffic jam behind us.” As soon as he finished speaking, car horns sounded high and low in apparent coordination.

Vehicle headlights shone on the ground a few inches in front of Shen Qianzhan, casting heavy shadows—all tree shadows behind Ji Qinghe.

Shen Qianzhan looked up at him.

His tie was slightly loose, his shirt collar still neat.

Under the blinding high beams, he stood against the light, the sharpness of his features blurred by a third, leaving only those eyes darker than the night itself, like an abyss containing winter frost and snow.

Stimulated by his beauty until her knees went weak, Shen Qianzhan resigned herself to getting in the car.

The SUV’s rear seat was spacious, the cabin filled with a faint smell of cold tobacco—bitter yet sweet.

Shen Qianzhan sniffed, watching Ji Qinghe circle around the car’s rear to get in from the other side, continuing to maintain her tonight’s persona of being quietly dignified and coldly noble like a chicken.

Ming Jue asked her address in a low voice, adjusted the navigation after, and drove out from the parking lot exit, soon merging into traffic.

Night had deepened, with noticeably fewer vehicles on the road.

After stopping and starting through several intersections, Ming Jue glanced at the rearview mirror and reminded the two in the back seat with a somewhat strange tone: “There seems to be a car following behind us.”

Shen Qianzhan turned around, gripping the chair back to identify the car logo and license plate.

After seeing the license number clearly, she grumbled while acknowledging Su Zan still had some conscience: “If he didn’t know I was broke, Su Zan would probably suspect President Ji of kidnapping and extortion.”

Ji Qinghe remained composed, completely unmoved.

He neither cared about unknown vehicles following behind nor about the mocking tone in her words.

The atmosphere in the car was so bizarre it was like taking a ride-share with strangers, filled with a distinct coldness.

Shen Qianzhan simply gave up any thought of conversation and started playing mute.

Forty minutes later, they arrived at the residential complex’s garage, and Shen Qianzhan got out.

After opening the car door, she tentatively extended one foot first. Seeing from her peripheral vision that Ji Qinghe sat steady as Mount Tai with no intention of getting out, she finally felt at ease to plant both feet on the ground and close the car door.

The car was parked right at the building entrance. Shen Qianzhan turned around, about to thank President Ji and Assistant Ming for being good Samaritans helping a lonely single woman get home safely.

Ji Qinghe got out and instructed Ming Jue to wait for him there.

He put both hands in his pockets, wrapped in night’s embrace, and walked into the building first.

Shen Qianzhan was dumbfounded.

Her brain rarely crashed like this. She stood there for several seconds, then hurriedly turned to chase after him once she reacted.

The floor area she lived on was large, with a one-staircase-one-household design that made the basement level’s layout quite complex.

She followed the sound of Ji Qinghe’s footsteps and had just reached the side door of the emergency exit when her wrist tightened. After a dizzying spin, she was pinned against the wall corner by Ji Qinghe, who gripped her wrist.

This man had a slightly curved lip corner and a malicious smile. He appeared refined like a gentle breeze and bright moon, yet firmly trapped her between himself and the wall.

Shen Qianzhan only had time to feel the momentary coolness and pain as her back hit the wall. When she came to her senses, he had released her wrist, taken her hand instead, and leaned down.

The light in her field of vision was instantly blocked by half as he stopped at a distance of barely a breath away from her.

Shen Qianzhan’s breathing caught. The tingling sensation caused by his proximity traveled from her heart throughout her body, completely weakening her.

She quietly held her breath, not daring to move, like prey caught by a natural enemy’s throat, resigned to playing dead, only daring to breathe softly.

Ji Qinghe’s nose lightly sniffed as he asked: “Whose cologne is this, hmm?”

His voice was deep, like clear spring water sinking into a courtyard well, echoing crisply.

Shen Qianzhan was struck by his magnetic voice, her ear tips burning as a surge of wicked fire rushed through her.

She trembled as she spoke, trying hard to stay calm: “I advise you to stay away from me.”

Ji Qinghe looked at her with an expression between smiling and not smiling, soul-stirring, completely igniting her restless lust.

She threatened: “Be careful or I’ll make your legs so weak you can’t go home.”

Ji Qinghe stared at her without blinking and asked: “Serious?”

Shen Qianzhan, having made her threat, immediately felt guilty: “Just kidding.” She rotated her wrists, indicating he should let go first: “Let’s talk properly. If someone sees us like this, I’ll have to sell my house before I finish paying off the mortgage?”

Ji Qinghe lowered his gaze to her lips. That scorching look was almost tangible, making her instantly shut up obediently.

Although she knew perfectly well that Ji Qinghe was just scaring her, she couldn’t challenge his bottom line just because she was fearless. This damn man would really bite when pushed to the limit.

“Is the next unit occupied?” he asked.

Afraid he might get wicked ideas, Shen Qianzhan quickly nodded: “Yes, it is.”

Ji Qinghe chuckled softly, deliberately teasing her: “Doesn’t have to be next door. This complex probably hasn’t been delivered for even two years, so there should be plenty of empty units.”

Seeing his expression didn’t look like he was joking, Shen Qianzhan immediately bristled: “Ji Qinghe, I advise you not to even think about it.”

Ji Qinghe’s gaze moved up from her lips to her eyes, meeting hers: “Scared?” He chuckled softly, his voice low and deep, as if shrouded in cold mist: “Tonight, I was also on tenterhooks.”

This remark was loaded with meaning, unreasonably striking her nerve. She narrowed her eyes, her tone instantly dropping to ice-cold, emanating chills: “What do you mean by that?”

This person Shen Qianzhan, unless willingly, once her defensive mode activated, truly fired arrows in all directions, each one poisoned.

But Ji Qinghe didn’t care at all about her bristling defensiveness. He lowered his head, those eyes deep and dark.

He lowered his voice, warning her: “If you want to cut ties with me, don’t break the rules under my nose. I’m possessive. Try getting contaminated with another man’s scent again and see what happens.”